


Order Up

by astrangerenters



Category: Bartender (Anime & Manga & Drama)
Genre: F/M, First Time, Getting Together, Masturbation, Vibrators
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-03-25
Updated: 2014-03-25
Packaged: 2018-01-16 22:58:53
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 17,393
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1364887
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/astrangerenters/pseuds/astrangerenters
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A series of vignettes charting the course of Ryu and Miwa's relationship. Set post-series and contains spoilers.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Based on the drama (2011) only.

**Old Fashioned**  
 _2 oz bourbon whiskey  
2 dashes Angostura bitters  
1 splash water  
1 tsp sugar  
1 maraschino cherry  
1 orange wedge_  
Mix sugar, water and angostura bitters in an old-fashioned glass. Drop in a cherry and an orange wedge. Muddle into a paste using a muddler or the back end of a spoon. Pour in bourbon, fill with ice cubes, and stir.

 

Clutching the gift bag in her gloved fingers, Kurushima Miwa decided that this would be the very last year she put herself through this. The dessert chef had spent the entire month of January offering to give Miwa a hand to thank her for his recent pay bump, but she had insisted on working by herself. With the busy holiday over and the mid-January summit meeting guests gone, she stayed in the Hotel Cardinal's kitchens night after night stirring and mixing and grumbling to herself until she came up with something halfway edible. This was the third year of this, the third year making Valentine chocolates for someone who didn't appreciate them. And it would be the last.

She had convinced herself to give up in December when she had purposefully and deliberately arranged her schedule so she had the 24th free. The 24th came, the 24th went, and Kurushima Miwa had sat in her lonely room munching on the holiday-themed fried chicken Uncle had made for her at the Sakura Snack Shop. Bar Eden Hall had apparently been booked on the 24th for some holiday party, its owner and chief bartender mixing gin and tonics all night long while Miwa munched her fried heart attack.

Three years of her life she had spent pining away for the world's most oblivious man. Valentine's chocolate, offers of hotel discounts in low season, birthday gifts. Miwa had done absolutely everything she could think to do that didn't involve stripping down to her skivvies and asking Sasakura-san to do a body shot of something off of her soft tummy. She just wasn't that type of girl. And now she'd gone three years and still she was "Miwa-san" and even worse, "Kurushima-san" the customer when she paid a visit to Bar Eden Hall.

Miwa had always thought of herself as a logical and practical person. If she wasn't, then her grandfather wouldn't have left the Hotel Cardinal in her charge. She was nearing thirty, and she was one of the youngest hotel managers in Japan. She ran a tight ship, kept a competent staff, and followed in her grandfather's example to ensure all guests had a world-class, personalized, and delightful stay. But somehow she'd never been able to turn on that switch in her personal life.

Months and now years had gone by and still there'd been no confession from Sasakura Ryu, who seemed to have the emotional understanding of a pet rock. Sure he understood his customers. He could make the perfect drink to match their mood, could plop down some kind of psychological analysis in a highball glass. So how come after all this time he couldn't read her the way he read some random guy off the street? How many batches of chocolate did she need to make? How many hints did she have to drop?

Because if he really and truly wasn't interested he would have said something by now. If he really and truly wasn't interested in Miwa he would have taken the time to get a girlfriend or a boyfriend or a sex friend or something by now. If he really and truly wasn't interested in Miwa, he wouldn't hang out with her all the time. Three years. Three long, agonizing years, and Miwa was at the end of her rope. This was her last batch of Valentine chocolates for Sasakura Ryu. Her last ditch effort to confess without actually opening her mouth and confessing. Because even though Miwa was a logical and practical person, she was a little old-fashioned when it came to love. She wanted to be confessed to. She'd put in three years of effort, and she wasn't going to be the one to confess first.

But she loved him, she knew she did. She wouldn't spend three years of her life pining for someone she didn't love. There was the physical that had drawn her in from the start - the model good looks and the shine in his eyes when he slid a glass across to you. And then there was the more than physical, the internal drive that pushed him to be better and better, to put his customers first, to provide a comfortable place for them. The kindness in him, the gentleness. No matter how many times she'd gone ahead and gotten drunk on his watch, he'd never once taken advantage of her. He clearly respected her and cared about her, but Miwa had decided that she needed more than that. She wanted to be loved, and Sasakura Ryu's time was up.

She tightened her grip on the gift bag and pushed open the door to Bar Eden Hall. Bar Lapin, Ryu-san's old haunt, had taken in all sorts of customers, but Eden Hall was nestled in the middle of a Marunouchi side street, snug between a jewelry shop and a place that sold fancy ballpoint pens. Ryu's customers mostly came from the high-rises and corporate headquarters in the neighborhood and the occasional wanderer from Tokyo Station. They were suit-wearing smokers who liked martinis but couldn't afford or didn't care for the nightlife Ginza had to offer just to the south.

Miwa strode through the bar as confidently as she could, happy for the warmth inside. It had been a chilly walk from the Metro stop, and it was shaking her resolve all the more. She spotted Ryu in his usual place, shaker in his hands. He caught her eye and gave her one of those "I see you but I can't talk" smiles, the smiles that had been her undoing for so damn long now. She slid out of her coat and tucked herself into one of the small, unoccupied booths opposite the bar. From here she could watch him work. From here she would wait.

She settled the gift bag and her purse beside her, exhaling a breath. She was handing over the chocolates, and then it was up to him. There was White Day a month away, but she wasn't giving him the benefit of four more weeks. He didn't get any more time. Three years was enough. If he did nothing, Miwa had resolved to finally dislodge him from the romance category in her heart and plant him firmly in the friendship category. 

She would start over. She would reassess. She would maybe, probably, possibly go ahead and join that online dating community Eri-chan had been talking about. Whenever she met up for dinner or drinks with her former co-workers from Tokyo Wonder Night, Miwa's sad dating life became the topic of conversation all too often. "A smart, professional woman deserves more, Miwa," they were always telling her before going on to complain about the "creeps" who sent them messages on the dating site. If tonight didn't go her way, soon Miwa would join their ranks and have a few creeps of her own to wade through before hopefully finding someone.

Ryu's new hire, Danny-kun, stopped over at her table, greeting her with a smile and a cocktail napkin. He'd been hired just before the holiday rush, and Miwa was certain she'd spent more time speaking with him at Eden Hall than Ryu lately. He was Australian, fresh out of college, and in Japan to teach English. Working part time at Eden Hall was Danny's way of getting better at Japanese in exchange.

"Miwa-san, hello, how are you?" he said in his cheerful voice. "Happy Valentine's Day!"

She wanted to give him a thump for the noisy reminder of what day it was, but he was just being nice and at least he hadn't commented on her arriving by herself. She opened her purse, sliding out a small bundle tied with red ribbon. Danny's boss wasn't the only one getting a treat today - she'd made some for the bartenders at Bar Lapin too and had delivered them the previous night, and she had another small bundle for Kuzuhara-san back at the hotel.

"Happy Valentine's Day, Danny," she said quietly, handing him the chocolates. "I'll just have a whiskey sour please."

She knew very well that Danny had a girlfriend, but he beamed from ear to ear at her gift. "Wow! Thank you, Miwa-san!"

He jogged off with her order, and Miwa tried not to look too smug as Danny went up to the bar and immediately bragged to Ryu about what she'd brought him. Sure, it was manipulative and mean on Miwa's part, knowing how someone like Danny would behave, but Miwa hadn't gotten far playing fair all these years. It was time for some psychological intimidation.

She watched Danny wiggle the little bundle of chocolates in his boss' face, smiling all the while. What was that? Had there been a twitch? A flash of something? The lighting in Eden Hall had always been a bit dim and the smoke never helped. But had Sasakura Ryu just had some sort of physical reaction to seeing Miwa-made chocolates in Danny's hand?

Ryu turned away, suddenly busying himself with the arrangement of some bottles behind the bar. Danny himself was given the privilege of making her whiskey sour, and Miwa worried that she'd gone too far. She took out her iPad and went through some work stuff, Danny making her another whiskey sour an hour later while she waited for the end of the night. She drank slowly, savoring the taste but sensing something missing. It was a perfectly serviceable drink, but Sasakura Ryu hadn't made it. There was just something different when he did it.

It had already been after 10:00 PM when she'd entered Eden Hall, and some of the regulars started ducking out to catch the last trains. Danny was dismissed just before midnight, saying one final English "thank you!" to Miwa as he headed out the door. As the number of customers dwindled and the ice cubes melted in her glass, she itched to take the gift bag and run to the bar with it, shoving it at him and running away. She never felt this uncomfortable in Ryu's bar. Perhaps it was her self-imposed ticking time bomb that was making her so nervous. She did her best to get lost in work, distracting herself with the website for a hotel management conference she planned to attend in May.

She jumped when a new cocktail napkin was placed down on her table and soon followed with a new glass. Another whiskey sour was presented, and she looked up to see Sasakura Ryu. The time on her iPad said 1:30 AM - she'd somehow been surfing the web and staring at the conference pages for over an hour. She looked around, seeing that she was the only customer remaining.

"It looks different," she mumbled, staring at the glass he'd brought her.

"It is," he said, still standing beside her table almost stiffly. "It's a Ward 8, a variant on whiskey sour. It has lemon and orange juice plus grenadine. Traditionally they made it with rye whiskey, but I know Miwa-san prefers Bourbon anyhow."

She took a sip, enjoying the different sweetness from usual. She told him so, and he bowed politely. No matter what, he'd always known what tastes she liked.

She turned her iPad off, slumping back a bit in her booth. "Sit down," she told him, "unless you have to clean up."

He raised an eyebrow. "You sound serious."

"It's not serious," she lied, waving her hand at him. He took a seat, looking prim and proper as usual in his vest and tie, his big brown eyes in the happy sort of drowsiness they took on after another successful evening.

She fumbled with the bag, nearly toppling it as she pulled it up from the booth and slid it across the table to him.

"Ah, you did make me some," he said, and there was definitely a relieved sound to his voice. As though she'd only make chocolates for his employee and skip him entirely. She was still here at the end of the night waiting for him, the idiot. "Thank you."

She tapped her foot nervously. This was it. This was the time. The other times she'd made him chocolate, they'd been little pieces and morsels, some made with caramel. This time she'd gone out of her way. Only the chocolates in Ryu's gift box were heart-shaped. It was a pretty bold move, at least for someone like Miwa, but it couldn't count as a confession. Not really.

He untied the ribbon and pulled the box from the bag. She'd decorated it simply - To Sasakura-san, From Miwa. He lifted the lid, and she heard his breath catch. She held her own, uncertain what to do or say, so she did and said nothing. Instead she sat there, heart racing, wondering if he was going to eat one and smile like he usually did without saying anything. This was his last chance, whether he knew it or not. These were potentially his last Valentine chocolates.

When he finally spoke, he sounded almost proud. "There's a lot more in here than what Danny-kun got."

Miwa exhaled almost angrily. Of course there are, you oaf! She wanted to reach across the table and throttle him. There's always more for you, she wanted to screech at him. There have always been more for you.

She watched him pick up one of the heart chocolates, sizing it up with a grin before shoving it in his mouth. Miwa's gaze lingered a little too long on his finger as he sucked a bit of the chocolate off. How many nights had she spent dreaming of those hands, of those fingers with the calluses from his shaker? The feeling of that hand on her face, those fingers sliding down, down, down...

"Miwa-san?"

"Hmm?" she murmured, feeling her face go hot. 

Ryu pulled another chocolate from the box and popped it in his mouth. "These are the best you've made yet, thank you so much," he said while chewing.

"Well, I'm glad you think so," she replied, hands under the table squeezing her knees to try and keep them from shaking. "I did the best I could."

"You've looked after me for a long time," he muttered a few moments later, fingers digging in the box for yet another piece.

"Huh?"

"I said...I said that Miwa-san has always looked after me."

"Oh," she replied, something much more than butterflies flying around in her stomach. Maybe she wouldn't have to join that dating site. Maybe she wouldn't be waiting much longer. Maybe she wouldn't have to give up on him. She found herself shakily reaching for the drink he'd made her, gulping it down quickly.

"Does Miwa-san like me?"

She stopped abruptly, mid-sip, eyes widening. No, no he wasn't allowed to do it this way! He wasn't supposed to ask her! He was supposed to shyly tell her how much he cared about her too, how his feelings for her overwhelmed him. How these chocolates, these perfect chocolates, reminded him of how much she'd always cared for him, and wasn't it time he told her he felt the same?

Why wouldn't he just say what HE felt for once?!

Hopeless. He was completely and utterly hopeless. He let out a little grunt of surprise as she yanked the box of chocolates away from him and put the lid back on. She shoved it in the purse with her iPad, standing up abruptly from the table.

"Wait, what did I say?"

She grabbed her coat with shaking hands, putting it on and not bothering to zip it or even put on her earmuffs. Miwa felt tears pricking her eyes. She'd been too patient. She'd waited too long. She couldn't do this any longer. She grabbed her heavy bag and pulled it from the booth, hurrying away.

"Miwa-san. Hey Miwa-san!"

She stomped furiously out of Bar Eden Hall, out into the nearly deserted street. Usually they walked home together when she stayed late to wait for him, but tonight she felt like coughing up the money for a taxi.

Miwa was halfway to the nearest main street when she heard him running, his shoes clomp clomping on the pavement behind her. 

"Miwa!"

She considered speeding up, but she was so startled by him calling out her name and only her name that she halted in her tracks, holding her bag close.

"Miwa!" he called again, finally catching up. He patted her on the shoulder. "Hey, hey come on."

She turned halfway, seeing his shirt sleeves. It was very cold out, and he hadn't even bothered with a coat. "You'll get hypothermia," she muttered. "Go back inside."

"What did I do wrong?" he asked, and there was none of his usual calm. He was always so calm and collected, it was the most stable thing about him. He hadn't lost his temper in her presence in years now. "What did I do?"

She shut her eyes, shivering in the cold. If she was cold in her coat, he had to be freezing standing out here with towering skyscrapers all around them. But he wouldn't move. "I've given you chocolate for three years, you know."

"It's good," he assured her, patting her shoulder again. "I told you it was good, I wouldn't lie to make you feel better."

"You do know what it means when I make you chocolates, don't you?"

He was quiet. She could have sworn she heard the gears in his head turning, or maybe it was just his teeth chattering.

She took his silence as continued proof of his ignorance...or disinterest. She pulled the chocolate box out of her bag, handing it back. "I shouldn't have taken them back. I'm sorry, please enjoy the rest of them. Have a good night."

"Wait," he said, grabbing hold of her arm and refusing to let her go.

"I'm tired," she said, wondering if he could even understand just how tired she truly was. "I'm tired and I'm going home. I have a lot of work to do."

He held her tighter. "The Ward 8, I made it for you because it's a little sweeter. Because it's Valentine's Day."

She turned slightly, worried that the tear tracks on her cheeks were visible under the street lights. He was looking at her more seriously than he ever had. She couldn't remember him looking at her this seriously since she'd lost her grandfather.

"Miwa-san has always looked out for me. Always. I know you're busy, but there's so many nights that I look up and see you there. Even when you don't have to be there, you come. You come and you support Eden Hall, and before that Lapin. And I guess I take it for granted, I have all this time. I look up and you being there somehow became an expectation, not a privilege." He inclined his head. "I'm sorry."

She gave up on holding in any more tears. They flowed freely now, and she chuckled quietly to herself, sniffling. After three years, he was finally noticing her the way she wanted him to.

"Show up again. Tomorrow or next week or a month from now. Show up," he said earnestly. "You're the most important customer I'll ever have. Eden Hall needs you. And...and so do I."

Miwa was shocked, totally shocked to hear his honest words, and when she looked up he was smiling down at her, looking sheepish. "Of course I'll show up," she replied, shivering a little.

"I'm closing early on Sunday, 7 PM," he said quietly. "I was going to do inventory, but maybe...maybe we could...get something to eat. And...it would be my treat."

They'd gone Dutch on almost every meal they'd ever had. This was indeed a first. It had taken a dramatic flight from Eden Hall, much more dramatic than she'd have liked, but he'd just asked her out. After three years there was forward momentum. He did care. As more than a friend, he did care.

She nodded. "Sunday at 7:00."

He nodded in return, rubbing his shirt-sleeves. "I should...I should probably..."

She gave him a shove. "Go already. Go before you catch a cold!"

Miwa made it all the way to the taxi stand. She made it all the way through the ride home. She made it all the way to her rooms above the Sakura Snack Shop before letting out a quiet little squeal of joy.

 

**Flirtini**  
 _2 pieces fresh pineapple_  
1/2 oz Cointreau orange liqueur  
1/2 oz vodka  
1 oz pineapple juice  
3 oz Champagne  
Muddle the pineapple pieces and cointreau in the bottom of a mixing glass. Add vodka and pineapple juice and stir. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass and top with champagne. Garnish with a cherry, and serve.

 

It was a date. A real date. Miwa fussed with herself in front of the mirror for ages. How many times had she and Sasakura Ryu shared a meal over the past few years? It had to be in the dozens, maybe even hundreds by now. But this was totally and completely different.

Miwa's co-workers had always hinted that her clothing choices tended toward the frumpy side and it was all the more apparent now that she was staring at everything she owned with horror. Miwa always thought of her fashion sense as leaning toward 'comfortable.' She loved big bulky sweaters, long skirts. And then the rest of her time was at work in her suits. So when it came to 'date night' clothes, she was sadly lacking in anything sexy. All of her heeled shoes were plain and black and a little bulky and work-appropriate.

So what, she told herself. Sasakura Ryu liked her for who she was, not for what she wore. But still, a little effort beyond comfortable would really solidify what this night meant. It wasn't another hooded sweatshirt, slurping ramen together kind of night. It was dinner, a dinner date, with someone she'd waited for so patiently. 

She dug and dug through her clothes until she found some things she'd worn in college. A plaid skirt that came to her knees, a low-cut green top that had a little beer stain from a college group date. But, she discovered, if she dressed it up with one of her blazers, the stain was hidden. She put herself together and turned to look in the mirror, pleased, only to see frumpy staring her back in the face. The skirt that had fit like a glove in college was too tight now, the top didn't really match, and the blazer just made her look like she was off to work anyhow.

In the end she pulled on one of her long skirt and bulky sweater combos, opting instead to work her flat, boring hair into a ponytail and use a tube of lipstick that was much more pronounced than she usually preferred. Well, she could always go shopping if he asked her out again.

By the time she arrived at Eden Hall, Miwa realized that she'd gotten worked up for nothing. Ryu greeted her at the door in his usual jeans. He'd paired them with a band t-shirt from some group he'd liked in France and a yellow cardigan. He was cute but ridiculously casual. His smile seemed different, as though he'd taken the past few days to refine it, to make it even more devastatingly perfect. She swooned slightly, holding tight to her purse to keep her hands from flailing at the sight of him.

"I thought we'd just order in here," he said, hands shoved in his jean pockets. "I hope that's alright with you."

Eden Hall was different when it was closed. The stools were flipped and rested on the bar top, the air was fresher, the lights brighter. He took her coat, hung it on the rack near the door and escorted her to the table she'd occupied the other night.

"I'll take care of everything," he assured her. "The food, the drinks. Just leave it to me."

He disappeared for a little while, and she could hear him in the back store room on his phone ordering. She sat nervously at the table, twisting the fabric of her skirt in her fingers. What were they going to talk about? How would this be different from other times they'd been together? Usually they ate together at Sakura Snack Shop surrounded by Auntie and Uncle's regular crowd. Usually Ryu scarfed down his food, asking Miwa about Kuzuhara-san's latest cocktail offerings at the Hotel Cardinal bar, mostly so he could nitpick his old rival.

But then the store room door opened, and Ryu came out, shoving his cellphone in the back pocket of his jeans. He called to her from the bar. "Can I get you something?"

"Just water for now, please." She didn't need to be drinking from the get-go on a date with him. He probably already found her alcohol consumption to be remarkable, and she'd made a fool of herself around him too many times.

For the first time she saw him make a drink for himself. Instead of one of his fancy cocktails, Miwa was surprised to see him pour himself a vodka on the rocks. He brought his drink and a glass of water over, settling himself in the booth across from her.

He didn't touch his drink for a few moments, dragging the glass back and forth over the tabletop in a bit of a nervous motion several times. She sipped her water, unsure how this was supposed to go. It had all seemed so simple before - Sasakura Ryu would confess his love, they'd get together, and everything would fall into place. But here they were, sitting together alone at Eden Hall waiting for the delivery order to arrive, and Ryu had already gotten himself some alcohol. It seemed he was going to need it to get through the evening.

She decided to break the awkwardness first, telling him about some rock band from America that was in town and staying at the hotel for the week. The topic was a welcome one, and Ryu sipped his drink slowly, asking about autographs (Can you get one? No, it's impolite) and about rock and roll behavior (Have they trashed the rooms? No, all they've done so far is ask for extra towels). They had switched over to the more controversial band that adorned his t-shirt when Ryu's phone buzzed with the delivery notification.

She stayed where she was while he hurried off to take care of the order. Now that they'd started talking, she'd been able to relax. They were on the usual kind of Ryu-and-Miwa topics, but there was a strange energy to the room. She'd found herself staring at him more than she already tended to do, watching his long fingers wrap around his glass. And she'd noticed that the more of his drink that he sipped, the more he seemed to calm down. His face had already grown a bit warmer, his smile more natural, and now he was returning with white plastic bags.

"I ordered from this Thai place around the corner, he's one of my regulars. Got a discount!"

Miwa resisted the urge to tell him it wasn't worth bragging to a date about getting their dinner on the cheap, but Sasakura Ryu couldn't be reshaped in a day.

The food, though not terribly fancy in its styrofoam containers, was delicious. It wasn't too mild, wasn't too spicy. After so many meals together, it seemed Ryu knew her favorite flavors in addition to her favorite kinds of cocktails. With the dinner he whipped together a Thai-inspired martini for each of them with a brand new bottle of lychee-infused liqueur, garnishing them with lime zest. It was refreshing and crisp and matched the meal well.

When dinner was done, he offered to make her another drink. But this time she followed him from the booth, belly full and happy, especially because for once she hadn't had to open her own wallet. "Am I allowed to come to the other side for once?" she asked, tapping her hands on his bar top.

He looked up from preparing more lime zest, cheeks flushing a bit adorably. A new Sasakura Ryu, one who'd already had two very alcoholic drinks, had arrived. A Sasakura that blushed. "But I want to make it for you."

"I want to see how you make it."

He leaned forward, a stray bit of his dark hair sliding across his forehead. "Come here then."

His voice had dropped far lower than its usual, sending Miwa's thoughts down with it. How many times had she been here in Eden Hall, or back in Lapin for that matter, dreaming about seeing the place from the bartender's side? And here was Sasakura Ryu, eyes sparkling from liquor, beckoning for her to join him. Her body was warm, just as flushed as his as she tottered around to join him behind the counter for the very first time. 

It was a new way of seeing everything, the world from Ryu's eyes. She could see the booth they'd been sharing, her usual seat, how the eyes had to lift up and across the room to best capture it. She turned away from the empty bar audience, staring up close at his impressive collection of spirits. Vodka, gin, cognac, absinthe, everything under the sun. Her fingertips brushed along the colorful bottles, this special place that belonged to the bartenders alone. From here they dispensed their wisdom along with their drinks. From here Ryu seemed to read minds and craft perfect understanding inside his shakers.

She saw clean glassware, his blender, his sink, stacks of cocktail napkins emblazoned with the Eden Hall logo. This was his space, this was where he made the magic happen.

He struck out his hand and it wrapped around her wrist, tugging her away from his precious bottles and over to his side. His fingers were a little sticky from handling the lime, but she didn't mind. She stood alongside him, almost close enough to touch but not quite. When he made cocktails for customers, he placed the bottles on the bar top, but back here with the doors shuttered for the night and just the two of them he kept them closer.

Ryu moved away briefly to open the small refrigerator he kept at the end of the bar, removing a fresh martini glass he'd been chilling inside. "Liqueur," he said, handing her his small metal measuring cup and the bottle of Soho lychee liqueur. He readied his shaker with some ice while she held the little cup and poured the sweet-smelling liqueur into it.

"Into the shaker," he said, and she did so. He then had her fill it again and let her add it to the shaker. Then he reached for a bottle of vodka, measuring out an all-too ample amount for her and letting her dump it inside. He then pulled a little bottle from his fridge and put just a splash of it in the shaker. It smelled sweet, just like the liqueur. Maybe fresh lychee juice. He closed it up and was ready to go into his usual stance when she put a hand to his wrist.

"Show me."

She nearly fell against him when she saw him lick his lips, nodding quickly. "You're a first timer, so don't get your hopes up."

"I've watched you for three years," she said, hoping he'd get it through his thick skull that she didn't just mean watching him use his shaker.

Ryu handed the shaker over and she turned herself, putting her back to him. She lifted her arms up, hoping to get the correct angle, trying to imagine what he usually looked like.

"Start about here," he said, and Miwa froze when his hands came around her, rearranging her arms and the placement of her hands on the shaker. "Here, about shoulder height." 

Then he moved her hands for her. Up! There was the usual crunch of the ice inside the shaker. Down! Another crunch. "Up," he said aloud this time, moving her arms back up to her starting position. "And then back down."

She almost leaned back against him but soon he was gone, and she was left to follow his instructions. Up, down, crunch, crunch, back and forth. Miwa heard a soft little chuckle, but she kept up her shaking. She had no muscles to speak of, really, so the fact that Ryu did this multiple times every night with ease spoke volumes about what muscles he was probably hiding under that t-shirt and cardigan. She desperately returned her focus back to her shaking. Finally he announced that she was done, and she pulled the cap off of the shaker, pouring her drink out through the strainer and into the chilled glass. She saw him smile when she tried to do a little wrist snap with the shaker like he always did perfectly after the last droplet hit the glass. She wasn't half as accurate, spilling a bit down the side of the glass. He then put the little lime zest finishing touch on it.

"Well, Kurushima-Bartender, let's see how you did."

The drink was nearly full to the brim, so she hunched down, sipping carefully from the edge of the martini glass. "Hmm," she said.

"Hmm?" he replied back, his voice taking on a superior tone.

"Strong and sweet." She took another sip, blinking a few times. "Stronger than you made the first one."

"There's a little more vodka this time, that's what you're tasting," he said, and she stepped back so he could lift the glass and taste it himself. He smiled again, the one that had snared her for three years now, and took another sip. "We'll work on your shaker technique. Practice, practice, practice, Kurushima-Bartender."

She got a little bold, giving him a poke in the side that nearly made him spill the drink she'd made. "When do I get to practice again, huh? Are you offering me lessons?"

He set the glass down on the counter, reaching for a towel to wipe up the spillage she'd caused. "I've won awards," he reminded her. Sasakura Ryu with a few drinks turned into a bit of a braggart. "I could charge a premium for lessons."

"Well," she said with a pout, "what if I don't have the money to pay? What's the charge for your expertise?"

She heard an uncomfortable little grunt come from him, and he wiped his hands on the towel, walking back around the bar. He was red as a tomato, his lips shut tight as though he was keeping himself from saying something inappropriate. Miwa had felt electric from the second she'd stepped into his world here on the other side of the counter, could still feel the heat she'd felt when his hands had grasped hers, when his arms had come around her. Were they moving too fast? Too slow? It was their first date, and things had at the very least heated up more than they ever had. She licked her lips, taking another sip of the strong drink he'd helped her make. She'd down the whole thing if she wasn't careful, and the last thing she needed to do was play a risky game. She didn't need to scare him off.

He busied himself with cleaning up their dinner containers. "Here, there's plenty to take home. I'll walk you."

And like that, it seemed Sasakura Ryu had decided the date had come to a close. Miwa grinned, realizing that the sudden change in their behavior around each other was affecting him just as strongly as it was affecting her. Her oblivious pet rock of a guy was waking up, becoming conscious of her. Becoming aware of her as Miwa, the woman and not just Miwa, his friend. She wondered if things would continue on this interesting trajectory. By letting her behind his bar, he'd given her so much power over him already.

The chilly air was a light slap to the face as they finished tidying and left Eden Hall for the night. There was still time for the train, but they fell into their usual side-by-side march. 

"I had a nice time," she admitted.

"Me too."

They walked in silence for a while, Miwa in her bulky coat and scarf and Ryu in his tan trenchcoat that clung to his tall, lanky frame in the best way. The closer they came to Sakura Snack Shop, the more Miwa started to worry. She was sobered up and figured Ryu was as well. She'd felt so good around him, so safe. It had been a very different meal from the dozens or hundreds that had come before. But was it enough? Would it continue or would he retreat back into his obliviousness?

They were a few blocks away when he grabbed her mittened hand, holding it in his own. He didn't look at her, and she didn't dare look at him but he held it firmly, confidently, their hands joined like no male friend and female friend would ever do. Unable to hold it in, Miwa smiled.

He bid her a good night when they reached the snack shop, letting her hand go. He didn't lean forward to kiss her good night, but he certainly didn't bluntly dismiss anything that had come before it as a misunderstanding, a non-date, et cetera. He only smiled and waved, heading back in the direction of his houseboat down by the riverside.

Uncle and Auntie were still awake, wiping down tables and counters in the shop as she drifted inside, ignorant to anything but the rustling of her plastic bags of leftovers.

"Has he proposed marriage?" Auntie asked, she and Uncle curious as the long-time supporters of a Sasakura-Kurushima match.

"No," she replied airily. "But he let me use his martini shaker."

Uncle and Auntie exchanged a curious glance as Miwa drifted to the stairs in a lovesick daze, still tasting lychee juice on her tongue.


	2. Chapter 2

**Hot Screaming Orgasm**  
 _1/2 oz vodka  
1/2 oz Bailey's Irish cream  
1/2 oz Kahlua coffee liqueur  
1/2 oz amaretto almond liqueur  
1/2 oz coffee_  
Add hot coffee first to warm the glass, then add remaining ingredients. Serve in Brandy Snifter, or Irish Coffee Mug.

 

Her back was stiff, and she walked slowly as she emerged from the afternoon-long meeting with the hotel's board of directors. It had taken all of her strength and patience to earn their respect, and there was still quite a bit of push and shove during meetings. It had been the same in her grandfather's day, when there'd been suggestions to cut costs or contract with a different supplier for hand soaps, big things and little things. Her grandfather always got the board to back down on anything that might lessen the experience for guests, and it took every ounce of courage Miwa had to hold up that same bargain.

Meeting adjourned, she retreated to the quiet calm of her office. It had taken a while for Miwa to think of it as her office as the hotel manager. For her entire life, the room had been her grandfather's office with its large oak desk and couches and artwork. She'd changed little aside from getting a new chair, and she plopped down in it with a sigh, slipping out of her heels. 

She was tired, but she had a long night ahead. A friend of a college friend was starting a new "business" and Miwa had been invited to attend a little party that evening. She'd have preferred to drag her tired bones over to Bar Eden Hall for a cocktail and perhaps another lesson from Sasakura Ryu, her almost-boyfriend. They'd had four "dates" now, all of which had been at Eden Hall. And four times he'd let her come behind his bar and mix herself a drink.

Four dates and not even a kiss or a hug yet. But, Miwa supposed, if it had taken three years to simply open his eyes to her feelings and his own, it might be a while yet before things got physical. With the party that evening, however, Miwa's impatience about her future with Ryu was all the more prominent in her mind.

Because the friend of a friend's new business was rather risque. Takahashi-san hosted adult toy parties, where women both married and not could gather in a safe, comfortable atmosphere to try things out and make purchases without embarrassment. Well, that was what the little flier her college friend Erena had given her said. Miwa had never owned anything like that before. Living in her grandfather's house and then in her quiet little rooms above Sakura Snack Shop, Miwa had never even considered such a thing.

She'd managed to get through three years of pining for Sasakura Ryu with only the touch of her own fingers, so why did she need a fancy device? But Erena hadn't wanted to go alone, and somehow Miwa had agreed. She was under no obligation to buy, of course, but the more nights she spent after hours at Eden Hall with Ryu so close but with physical satisfaction so far, she had to admit her curiosity was growing.

She got through the rest of the afternoon and headed out, meeting up with Erena at Shinjuku Station and then catching another train out a bit further west. It was a three block walk to Takahashi-san's home, and she could sense Erena's enthusiasm. Her friend hadn't wanted to go alone, but she was clearly here to buy. Miwa could only listen, face reddening, as Erena talked about the guy she was dating and how he'd wanted to watch her use her vibrator on herself sometime. "So obviously," Erena giggle-whispered to her, "I have to have the newest top of the line model."

Miwa could hardly imagine the words "please use your vibrator on yourself while I watch" coming from the lips of Sasakura Ryu, but she found herself imagining it anyway. She felt suddenly hot in her coat.

For some reason, Miwa had expected Takahashi-san to open the door in a sexy costume and wiggle some sort of vibrator in her face, but instead she was a cheerful middle-aged housewife whose kids were staying over by a friend's. Her husband, Takahashi-san readily volunteered, was out drinking with co-workers and knew not to come home until the "ladies' party" was over.

"What does your husband think about you hosting these things, Tomoko?" Erena asked as Takahashi-san offered them slippers and put their coats in the hall closet.

Tomoko-san just laughed, a confident laugh without shame. "It brings in a little extra pocket money. He doesn't mind. He's also a body chocolate convert so..."

Miwa let out an awkward chuckle as Erena and Tomoko-san let out much noisier laughs. Okay, Miwa, she told herself. You just need to get through this.

Tomoko-san had made a wide variety of snacks and appetizers for them to munch on. There were going to be about fifteen women at the "party," and Tomoko-san's living room was ready for them. There were two plush sofas and a collection of dining room chairs and folding chairs arranged in a circle. She and Erena were not the first to arrive, but they were the youngest. It seemed that Tomoko-san's neighborhood friends were gathered, a handful of laughing wives snacking without reservation. Miwa wondered if she was the only woman in the room who had zero experience in anything like this. She hadn't been with anyone since college, and even back then she'd lied to her grandfather and said it wasn't serious at all. These were mature women who knew their sexual appetites well.

The room grew warm as others arrived, and Tomoko-san cracked a window and set a fan going. Miwa finished her snacks, twisting her fingers around the strap of her purse while they waited for everything to get started. Tomoko-san began by introducing herself again and then everyone went around the room and introduced themselves. Most of the women readily volunteered their married status while Erena, Miwa, and one other woman were not. Miwa only said her name and nodded her head with a weak smile. The women could see her bare left hand and make up their own minds about her.

Tomoko-san then started the demonstration. The other women asked questions and had Tomoko-san pass things around. First was some lubricant, a few different kinds. Miwa passed the bottles along without squeezing any onto her hand. Next up were some fun little toys - blindfolds and little dice that said things like "Kiss" and "Touch" and "Squeeze." The housewives as a cohort seemed rather dismissive of these things, and Tomoko kept cracking smiles.

"Alright, shall we move on to the main attractions?"

Miwa felt her face grow hot again as Tomoko-san brought out a sampling of vibrators. She arranged them on her coffee table, encouraging everyone to pick them up and play with them. Miwa stayed in her seat as Erena bustled forward, snatching a few. There were all different kinds, more than Miwa thought possible. Vibrators shaped like little bullets that made a loud buzzing noise, small ones that could fit in your purse, even one that was shaped like a tube of lipstick. Erena twisted the lipstick one, giggling as she ran it along the palm of her hand. "Miwa, here," her friend said, dragging the buzzing little thing across her wrist.

She jumped nervously, but all the other guests were busy sampling the merchandise and didn't seem to notice or care. Erena shut it off and patted her shoulder. "Don't be shy," Erena said, "men can't always deliver what we really need. You should get something that works best for you."

Miwa just nodded and smiled, realizing that she was simply unfamiliar and nobody here was going to pressure or judge her. Tomoko-san let the women keep playing while she brought out even bigger toys. Miwa heard the words "vibrating dildo" come from the mouth of a mild-mannered housewife for the first time, seeing the others laugh and cheer for the various, colorful items now on display. Miwa held tight to one of the smaller bullet vibrators as the other women yanked at the green and blue and purple dildoes. Some were glittery, some were anatomically correct, some Miwa couldn't even imagine trying to fit inside herself. 

"Now ladies, don't tell your husbands, but each of these has a name," Tomoko said, holding up a red dildo with a glimmering butterfly attached to it. "May I kindly introduce Masao-san?"

Masao-san made his way around the room, poked and prodded and grasped. More "gentlemen" joined him, and Miwa heard a soft little gasp emerge from Erena beside her. Miwa turned, seeing a sparkly pink model in her hand. "Hmm?"

"I've found him," Erena announced. "My new friend."

The sampling session ended, and Tomoko retired to a small bedroom off of the main living room. The ladies went in one by one to make their purchases privately, emerging from the room with smiling faces and non-descript gift bags held closed with ribbon. To anyone walking on the street, it would look like a normal shopping purchase. Erena, sparkly pink sample dildo in hand, grabbed her purse and headed off to inquire about purchases.

Miwa took a look at the various items on the table a few more times, all the other women near the entryway gathering coats and chatting. Erena came out, giving Miwa a little push. "Go on, I won't ask any questions about what you buy."

Miwa nodded and headed for the room, closing the door. There were cardboard boxes stacked floor to ceiling, and Tomoko-san was jotting down numbers on an order form. "Ah, Kurushima-san," Tomoko-san said, welcoming her in. "You've been quiet, please don't feel obligated to buy."

She allowed herself a small smile. "I've never...I've never owned anything like this before..."

Tomoko smiled in return. "And there's nothing wrong with that. If you don't mind my asking, are you seeing anyone?"

"Sort of," she admitted, thinking back to their quiet little dates, her hands on the shaker, the clean scent of him behind her. "Yes, I'd say so...well, we're getting started."

"That's wonderful," Tomoko-san said. She dug in one of the boxes, unearthing a box of condoms. "When you make some progress, you'll be ready. A service, please accept them."

Miwa blushed, waving her hands. "Oh no, I couldn't..."

"Please," Tomoko-san insisted, "better you than my teenage daughter sneaking in here to steal some behind my back."

Miwa allowed Tomoko-san to set the condom box in one of the little shopping bags. "I was, um, I don't think I want anything...large."

Tomoko pulled down a different box, setting it on a small table she had set up in the room. "I know exactly what you need. Here." She pulled out one of the unopened bullet vibrators, set in plastic. It was light blue and attached to a battery pack with a short wire. "Very easy to use, three settings. One of the quietest. Even if you have someone special, he may not know exactly what you like. And with some, they might not even care what you like. With something like this, you put yourself first. It'll always be waiting for you."

Miwa pulled out her wallet, grinning. "You're a good saleswoman."

"I just think we ladies put up with enough. Using these hurts nobody."

Purchase complete, Miwa accepted her bag and followed Erena back to the train. "So," her friend said, jostling her a bit. "How are things with your bartender?"

"They're..."

Erena gave Miwa's bag a tap. "In the meantime then, hmm?"

"In the meantime then."

Miwa held her bag close as she entered the Sakura Snack Shop, just about to greet Auntie and Uncle when she saw Sasakura Ryu sitting at the counter slurping some udon noodles. Miwa tried not to gasp at the sight of him there, dressed in a gray v-neck tee and jeans, noodles disappearing between his lips. 

"Miwa-chan!" Auntie called, trying to get her away from the entryway where she was standing stock still. "You hungry? Let's get you something."

Ryu looked up from his food, smiling instantly at the sight of her. "Hey you."

Oh god, he just had to be here when she returned with merchandise from a sex toy party of all things. He just had to be here with his long legs and fluffy hair and kissable mouth. She nearly dropped the bag, stumbling forward. She made excuses. "Let me just...change..."

She hurried through the back of the shop and up the stairs, unlocking her door and hiding inside. She opened the bag, spying the colorful tissue paper Tomoko-san had put in along with her very obvious box of condoms and her even more than obvious vibrator. Miwa pulled open her bathroom door, tossed the bag in, and shut it. Changing from her work clothes and into a t-shirt and jeans of her own, she headed back down the stairs.

Miwa took a seat beside Ryu at the counter. "Auntie said you were at a party tonight," Ryu said, setting down his chopsticks. "Have a good time?"

She knew she was beet red, but she hoped he wouldn't notice. "Yep."

"Work party?"

She shook her head, tugging nervously at her ponytail. "Nope."

Despite the usual restaurant patrons and a spying-on-her-as-usual Auntie and Uncle, Ryu leaned close to whisper in her ear. She could feel his warm breath against her skin. "A secret?"

"No," she murmured back. "No, just...college friends."

"Ah," he said, leaning back. "Well, invite me next time. I'd love to meet your friends."

She gulped down a breath. The party she'd been to that night was not the kind of party she needed to attend with Sasakura Ryu. "Sure," she managed to squeak out. 

He pulled out his wallet and paid for his meal, getting up from the counter. Auntie and Uncle practically pushed Miwa to follow him outside. He chided her for following him, standing close and rubbing her bare arms up and down. "We can go back inside if you want to talk," he said. "We could go sit in your room."

She thought about the sex contraband waiting in her bathroom, and she shook her head vigorously. "No, no, I'm...I'm a little tired tonight." His hands were still on her, warm and steady. Even in the cold, she thought she might melt. 

"I didn't think I'd get to see you," he admitted quietly. "When Auntie said you were out for the night..."

"Well," she said, "here I am." 

Without even looking around, he suddenly bent down and kissed her quick, the softest brush of his lips against her own. She blinked, realizing it was over almost as soon as it had started. Miwa looked up, seeing an almost arrogant confidence in his eyes. The kind of look he got when he knew he'd made a drink perfectly.

"Are you free on Saturday?" he asked, backing away slightly. "Let's meet up."

She said nothing, only knowing that he'd kissed her. Sasakura Ryu had kissed her.

"Go inside before you catch cold," he said, giving her a little wave. "Night, Miwa!"

She stood there for another few seconds before bolting, hurrying back into the Sakura Snack Shop. Auntie was clapping and Uncle was whistling and even the patrons were cheering. Miwa stomped rudely up the stairs, closing her door behind her. She leaned back against it, trying to catch her breath.

A kiss. A first kiss. And then he'd just walked off with a confident air. She pressed her hands to her face, wondering how she'd gotten to be her age while still reacting to a kiss this way. She was almost thirty and all he'd done was give her a peck on the lips. Miwa laughed at herself then, laughed until her belly ached. She changed into pajamas and went to brush her teeth, still floating on a silly "Ryu kissed me!" cloud when she spied her gift bag sitting so casually beside her tub.

She shoved her toothbrush in her mouth, swishing it around with one hand while peeking inside her bag with the other. She was fit to burst with all the odd feelings inside herself. The party that night, her jittery nerves from all the buzzing, vibrating toys and carefree women. Coming home and not expecting to find her bartender at the counter, his smile at the sight of her. The way he'd leaned so close as though they were alone, the whispered syllables of "a secret?" brushing against her ear. How comfortable he'd felt touching her even when anyone in the shop could have seen, how easily he'd bent down and kissed her. She had to let it out. She had to let it out and this time she could do more than feel with her fingers.

Miwa spat out her toothpaste and rinsed her mouth, fingers shaking as she tore open the plastic container and pried open the battery pack. She slipped the provided batteries inside and closed it up, nervous as she held the small blue bullet in her hand and the pack with the other. Flipping the lights off, she slipped under the covers and took a few deep breaths. 

The walls weren't very thick, and she could hear the usual sounds of Auntie and Uncle closing up shop downstairs. Once she went in her room they never bothered her and they wouldn't tonight, even though they'd clearly seen what had just taken place in the doorway outside their restaurant.

Miwa shut her eyes, settling the toy to her side and slowly shoving her pajama bottoms and panties down. Normally she was half asleep when she did this, staying up until she was certain Auntie and Uncle were asleep in their rooms downstairs. So many nights she'd tentatively slipped a finger inside herself, breathing in and out, shutting her eyes tight and pretending it was one of Sasakura Ryu's fingers, imagining his hands on her sensitive skin.

She decided to start out that way, body warm and humming like crazy from the simple kiss, from the touch of his fingers on the soft fleshy part of her arms. She tried to imagine that look in his eye, that possessive, confident look he'd had after the kiss. It had been a second, lips to lips, but in Miwa's imagination it became more. Her thighs trembled as she moved her legs apart, fingers drifting down her abdomen for a first touch. She was surprised but not too surprised to already find herself wet.

Usually she had to think and imagine for a while, had to work up to it, but she was so full of need, full of want, that her body was all ready for her. All ready for Sasakura Ryu, who she'd been thinking about all day, all night during the party when she nervously buzzed vibrators against the palm of her hand. She stroked herself with a shaky finger, taking her other hand and slipping it under her t-shirt to stroke her breasts. She prolonged Ryu's kiss, rearranged her memory so that she hadn't just stood there in shock but had kissed him back.

"Miwa," he'd said her name so easily. "Miwa."

Her hand drifted away from her body, found the cool little bullet. She took her hand from her shirt, held on to the little battery pack controller and felt the tickle of the cord against her hip as she brought the bullet between her thighs. There were three settings, Tomoko-san had explained, and she turned it on, hearing a light little buzz. It seemed to echo, seemed so much louder here in her dark, quiet bedroom than it had been in Tomoko-san's house.

Nervously, Miwa pulled her blanket over herself to dull the noise a bit, not that Auntie or Uncle would really know. For the first time without her finger, she stroked herself with the vibrator, dragging it along her inner thigh, feeling the pulsing start to warm her all the more as she tested it out. It felt good, it felt really good. As she clicked it up to setting number two it got a bit louder, but the pulsing was more pronounced and she smiled. Her eyes still shut tight, she stroked it back and forth between her opening and her clit, feeling a tense bubbling sensation grow each time it pulsed against the sensitive little nub. Her fingers definitely had never been able to make her feel like this so quickly.

Her body adjusting to the new sensations, she was able to turn her thoughts back to Ryu, to his kiss, to the promise of something more. She'd imagined him inside her before, had slipped her fingers back and forth inside herself to imagine it was him. But tonight she was in a different place, a naughtier place, encouraged by the party and from his kiss and from that wicked look in his eyes. She spread her legs wider and rubbed the vibrator against her sensitive folds with more pressure, feeling jolts of pleasure that were more intense than anything she'd ever felt.

Miwa had had sex with a few people, but it had been years ago, and she hadn't thought to move much or enjoy it because she'd been young and spent most of the time on her back petrified of her grandfather finding out she was doing it at all. But she remembered Tomoko's words, how using the little device didn't hurt anyone. She gave in and put the vibrator on the third and highest setting, fingers slipping away from the battery pack and spreading herself wide, gripping the bullet tight and pressing it against her clit in tight little circles. 

It got a moan out of her, one she hadn't been able to stifle, and she let it happen. The buzzing wasn't even embarrassing her now as she imagined Sasakura Ryu, that mouth of his, those plump pink lips of his disappearing between her legs, something no college boyfriend had ever offered. His mouth, his tongue. There, right there. She could barely stay still, gasping at the reality of the feelings between her thighs and the fantasy of it being Sasakura Ryu taking her there. Her whole body was trembling and she could no longer keep her hand steady, coming with a gasp that shocked her, an intensity of feeling she wasn't used to. She fumbled for the battery pack, turning the wonderful thing off.

Miwa opened her eyes and could only stare up at the ceiling as she came back down, breathing heavily. She gave a few seconds' thought to the housewives at the party, their knowing smiles, and she felt in that moment that she understood them and understood why Tomoko-san wanted to sell these things. But eventually her thoughts drifted back to Ryu and the promise of what the future held.

 

**Midnight Kiss**  
 _3/4 oz vodka  
5 - 6 oz Champagne  
1/4 oz Blue Curacao liqueur_  
Pour the vodka into a sugar-rimmed champagne flute and fill the rest of the glass with Champagne. Top with the Curacao, and serve.

 

Danny-kun and his girlfriend walked in front of them, hand in hand. His girlfriend's name was Julia, Miwa had learned that day, and she lived in the same share house Danny did in Setagaya. She was from Italy, but somehow between her tentative English, Danny's sparse Italian, and the combined pair's Japanese, they managed to both get along with each other and had communicated reasonably well with Ryu and Miwa that day.

It had been Julia's suggestion to visit Shinjuku Gyoen to view the cherry blossoms, and Danny's suggestion to invite Ryu and Miwa along as a double date. It was an off night for Eden Hall, and Julia had fussed enough for all four of them, somehow carrying along a massive basket on the train that held a blanket to sit on and some tasty sandwiches on a hearty Italian bread. Ryu and Miwa (mostly Ryu) had been charged with the wine, and together the four of them had sat from sunset onward under the trees as the lights shone brightly on the beautiful pink blossoms.

For Miwa, hanami had always been a treasured time with her grandfather, walking slowly among the trees in the sunshine. After his passing, she'd gone with co-workers. This was her first evening hanami visit, the first time seeing Tokyo's gorgeous blooms under artificial light. And her first hanami in a dating situation. There'd been hundreds of other people in the massive park, but somehow Danny had found them a quiet spot to snack on their sandwiches and drink their wine and practice language skills.

They'd sat together on the blanket, the four of them, but once the meal was finished and only droplets remained in the wine bottles, Danny had leaned back, and Julia had comfortably settled her head in his lap. Miwa and Ryu had watched as he stroked his girlfriend's hair, listening to her melodic voice as she taught them a few phrases in Italian that Miwa knew she'd forget come morning.

And not once in that time had Sasakura Ryu done anything to hint that he felt for her the way that Danny and Julia obviously felt for one another. Miwa had settled her hand on the blanket for a while, but then ended up putting it in her lap once she was certain Ryu wasn't planning to reach for it. He had grown quiet, back into his bartender listening mode, letting boisterous Danny and cheerful Julia do most of the speaking while he picked at the wine bottle's label with his thumbnail.

Eventually it had been time to pack up and go since the trains would be packed from the busy evening at the park. They were walking to the station now, a few paces back from Danny and Julia's joined hands and their large picnic basket. There were tourists foreign and domestic walking along the paths, and Miwa inhaled the pleasing scent of the blossoms. She wasn't entirely certain if she'd had a good time that evening or not. She liked Danny and Julia, but she'd been so preoccupied with what Ryu hadn't been doing that she'd probably come across as rude.

It came time for the party to split up with Miwa and Ryu heading east and Danny and Julia heading west. Once they'd said their goodbyes, she turned and saw Ryu let out a huge breath. They walked in silence, side by side, toward their train station, the crowds almost unbearable. They made it through the turnstiles only to find an overcrowded platform.

Two trains went by before they could board a car, the compartment packed. The doors closed and Miwa soon found herself wedged between the wall at the end of the car and Ryu. They'd been on crowded trains together before, but somehow they'd never managed to get stuck like this, face to face with Miwa's back to the wall and only Ryu to keep other people from crushing her.

The train got in motion, muscle memory making passengers sway with the movement. A passenger behind Ryu jostled around a bit, shifting his backpack to the floor, and it pushed him right up against Miwa. Ryu braced himself with one hand to the compartment wall beside her head and the other at her side, bringing sudden pressure against her.

"Sorry," she heard him mutter, the first words out of him since they'd said good night to Danny and Julia. But he didn't move his hand away. Instead, he kept it pressed there at her waist, against her jacket.

Miwa couldn't help but look up, seeing the paper advertising posters suspended in the car rock back and forth in tandem with the dangling handles in the grip of other passengers. She saw Ryu looking down at her, an odd expression on his face that made her look away with a burst of embarrassment. She ended up focusing straight ahead, her eyes level with his chin. He was so close she could smell him, could smell something fresh like soap. 

His face wasn't so odd, she realized. It was just not a look he'd ever shown her before, something she'd never seen. It wasn't the confident little smirk of his kiss or the confused oblivious smile when he wasn't picking up on her signals. He was looking down at her right now on this overcrowded train, one hand inches from her hair and the other at her waist. He was looking down at her, and he was with her somewhere else, maybe thirty minutes from now when there was no train and no crowd. 

She bit her lip, exhaling with the realization that his feelings were truly real. What had caused it? They'd been inching closer and closer the past few weeks, but tonight had changed something. Maybe it had been the romance of hanami. Or maybe the way Danny and Julia were so overtly physical. Or maybe he remembered their previous kiss and how quickly it had happened and not yet been followed up on. It was pure _want_ that Miwa had seen in Ryu's eyes, and her mind started spinning like a top.

They were surrounded by people. Tired people, bored people, annoyed people. They had a few more stops on this line, a transfer, and then another train after that. Each time the train stopped a few exited and more came on, and even when he had space to lean back, Ryu didn't. She stared straight ahead, watching his chin, his jaw, felt the continuing pressure of his grip at her waist. He'd only have to slip his hand behind her to pull her flush against him. But the train, the train.

It was their transfer point and his hand finally, regrettably slid from her waist to her wrist, tugging her through the thicket of bodies and out onto the platform. From there he didn't release her, marching them through the station, dodging more bodies, down an escalator.

They queued up in yet another grouping of people, Miwa's heart pounding when he let her go and turned to face her. He waited to speak until after an announcement for track four had stopped. His voice was unsteady, almost a whisper. 

"Don't go home," he said, almost making it sound like a hopeful question instead of a command.

She nodded, her entire body flooding with warmth. Yes, finally. Finally after all this waiting. When the train came, this time Ryu maneuvered them so Miwa was able to sit and he stood in front of her, hand gripping the overhead strap. When the train got moving, she looked up again, his words repeating in her head. "Don't go home." This time when she looked up she held his gaze for a few moments, allowing herself a small smile. He returned it quickly, squeezing tight to the strap. She could feel the press of his sneakers against her own, the same kind of electricity she felt when she'd been behind his bar, feeling him put her hands in place against his shaker.

As the train moved along, she was eye level with Ryu's crotch, though he was in a bulkier coat, and she couldn't exactly tell if he was hard inside his jeans. She discovered that she wanted him to be, to know that he wanted her and was enduring the worst train ride of his life having to wait for it. Something she'd wanted, craved for so long would soon arrive. Kurushima Miwa, Sasakura Ryu, and something more than a simple, split-second peck on the lips. 

"Don't go home," repeated itself itself again and again, and she internally panicked her way through a dozen odd things. There was a condom in her purse? Yes, yes she'd kept a couple inside one of the bag's zipped compartments ever since Takahashi-san had given them to her. She'd worn matching underwear that day? Miwa pursed her lips, thinking back to that morning when she'd dressed, assuming only innocuous thoughts about the double date at Shinjuku Gyoen, thinking only of the cherry blossoms and not the possibility of what "after the cherry blossoms" could mean. It had been a pink lace bra, she remembered. And an unmatching pair of green cotton panties. Well, she told herself, they were clean and kind of cute.

It was their final stop, and he stepped back to allow her to rise from the seat. The station noise became nothing more than a faint hum as she followed him out of the car and onto the platform. From here it was only a few blocks to the docks, to the boat he still insisted on living in. She focused on putting one foot in front of the other, eventually catching the slightly fishy scent of the waterfront and the other little boats-turned-houses that made up Ryu's strange little neighborhood.

Ryu's neighbor, an old man with a limp, was perched out on the deck surrounded by a group of men his own age. There were lit-up lanterns strewn all over the deck, and their laughter was filling the night air. They tried calling out to Ryu and Miwa, inviting them over for their fish fry, but Ryu somehow managed to decline without coming across as rude. Miwa was a fairly normal sight at Ryu's boat, so she was grateful for no whistles or hoots as Ryu pulled his keys from his pocket, getting the door open and letting her inside.

It was dark inside, but Miwa could see the glow from the old men's lanterns through the sliding panels that made up the walls of the houseboat. Ryu closed the door, turned the lock. There was another round of laughs from the neighbors, and Miwa took a breath, slipping out of her shoes and fumbling with the ties of her jacket and dropping it somewhere on the floor.

Then he was behind her, filling her space, his arms encircling her and pulling her back against him. She closed her eyes, sighing when she felt a kiss press against the top of her head, then another at her neck. He was so warm, so close, and his hands on her were so firm she didn't dare try to move on her own. It was quiet except for her breathing and the muffled talking of the men next door. He held her tight, and she wondered how long he'd wanted to do so, if he'd held himself back or been in denial or if he'd wanted this the whole time as she had and neither of them had said or done anything about it.

She felt his long, thin fingers thread through her hair, slipping the elastic band of her ponytail off and letting it free. He turned her then, hands finding her face in the dark, thumbs stroking her cheeks as he leaned down to kiss her. It was a vast improvement from before, his mouth lingering this time, their noses bumping only briefly before she tilted for a better angle. The difference in their heights was going to hurt her neck before too long but for now she was being kissed, and she was kissing him back and it was so much more than she'd imagined for a first real kiss between them.

The hands on her face were the hands she'd watched for so long - the hands that grasped bottles, fingers that twisted on the shaker's cap. She could feel strength and imperfections, the calluses that made his hands a little rough. His hands slipped back from her face, threading through her hair as he pressed further, surprising her by adding his tongue to the mix. 

How long they stood there, making out like a couple of teenagers, Miwa couldn't even guess. Ryu still hadn't put a light on inside, and the men's party outside went on in its noisy way. But he stopped kissing her first, pulling back with a sharp breath. She was about to raise a complaint, to try and pull him back to her, when she realized that he wanted to do a lot more than kiss her.

His fingers were at her stomach, looking for the buttons that kept her shirt closed. She silently helped him, starting at the top while he started at the bottom. They met halfway, hands colliding, and then her shirt was open, her skin tingling from the exposure. He pushed her hands away, sliding her shirt from her shoulders. It got lost somewhere on the floor. She couldn't help gasping a bit when his hands started exploring and teasing in the dark. Along her shoulders, his fingers sliding along the straps of her bra, then down her arms. Her waist, around her back and the slight dip in the middle to her spine. Miwa just stood there, letting him touch, letting him do whatever he wanted because everything felt good to her.

He eventually stopped his inspection, brushing a quick kiss to her mouth before turning her again, pulling her back against him once more. His breath was in her hair, and now she could feel him, an insistent pressure against her backside. His t-shirt was soft, added warmth against her back. He seemed to like having her against him like this, his hands against her belly before sliding up, tracing the girlish lace of her bra. She found herself leaning back and Ryu leaning forward, his hands cupping her breasts through the fabric. She gasped again when he squeezed. He seemed to like her reactions, stroking and squeezing, learning her body.

Miwa let out an "mmm" of surprise when his left hand slipped inside her bra, his fingertips grazing against her nipple as his right hand slipped down. She'd only worn a pair of black leggings under her button-down blouse and his fingers slipped inside easily. There was no hesitation, no obliviousness to his movements. Ryu knew what he wanted and what he wanted was her. Even though it still seemed like they had an audience, a chorus of old men's voices ringing out into the night, Ryu didn't stop. She felt his fingers slide inside her panties, past her dark curls and straight to her.

She squirmed in his arms at the feeling, unable to keep from sighing and pushing back against him. She was rewarded with a groan and the renewed press of his erection against her backside. But he seemed content to just touch for now, his lips against her hair, her temple while his left-hand fingers teased her breasts and the ones on the right found the wet, slick warmth between her legs. The exploration became more pointed when she felt one of his fingers slip within her, hearing him groan at how easily he was able to do so.

It was nearly impossible to stay still and endure it, being touched like this by the person she'd wanted for so long, the person who up until now had only kissed her quick and scampered off into the night. It felt so good to be wanted, so good to be wanted like this. She nearly doubled over when one finger inside her became two. She thought she heard her name, a breath that sounded like "Miwa" against her hair. 

She put her helpless hands to work, reaching one up a bit awkwardly behind her and settling it on the back of his head, hearing a murmur of approval when her fingers twisted into his hair. "Ryu," she managed to say without an ounce of politeness for maybe the first time. She was bucking against his fingers, driving them further inside her, stuck happily between the pressure of his hand in front and the press of him from behind.

Her stray hand eventually pushed its way inside her now damp leggings, squeezing his wrist. He allowed her to give it a light tug, slipping his fingers from inside her. "Here," she guided him between heavy breaths, "here." Her legs shook when his larger, clumsier fingers stroked her clit. Her fingers tightened in his hair, wondering if he was going to make her come standing up with both of them still mostly dressed. Her squirming seemed to be driving him crazy because he was moving his hips against her in time with the motion of his fingers. He circled her clit until she gasped, and his fingers slipped inside to stroke again, rougher and rougher. 

She felt embarrassingly wet, but he didn't seem to mind, his kisses growing sloppier as he refused to stop. She'd never been touched like this before, nobody had ever bothered. With the boys in college, there'd been some kissing, a few painful twists of her nipples, some thrusts, and then it was time for her to go home and hope her grandfather wouldn't read her mind. But Sasakura Ryu took his time, as he apparently did with almost everything. All Miwa could think was that it was worth the wait because she couldn't handle any more, clenching around his fingers, wanting to slip to the floor but still held tight in his grasp.

His fingers stopped, their bodies stopped rocking in tandem, and Miwa's breaths were coming in pleased gulps of air. "Was that okay?" he finally asked her quietly.

"Yes," she said, smiling giddily in the dark. "Yes."

He pulled his hand from her leggings, and she lost him for a moment, feeling the awful absence of his body pressed against hers. She heard a rustling noise on the floor, his socked feet sliding across tatami, and her memory filled in the gap. His futon, on the floor.

Then he was back, hand trembling when he found her arm. "Do you...do you still want to..."

He was nervous now after the way he'd made her feel? She responded by moving her hands to his waist, to the buckle of his belt. That was a good enough answer for him, and he pulled her hand away, leading her to the futon and gently urging her down. In the dark she heard him undress, heard his jeans unzip.

"Do you have..."

"Yeah," he replied, somewhere in the dark room around her, close to the small bookshelf and TV stand against the wall. She listened to him rummaging around. "Yeah I do."

She unclasped her bra, tossing it aside, and added her leggings, panties, and socks to the pile. "There's some in my purse, uh, if that's easier..."

Eventually he made his way back to her on the futon. She lay back against his pillow, and they were skin to skin when he joined her. Miwa was still on a high from his touch, finding herself arching up against him almost as soon as he was lying between her legs. His body was warm, his mouth warmer still when he kissed her again. As she suspected his arms were strong, muscled when she traced with her fingers. He leaned back, fingers at her chin. "Miwa...Miwa I really..."

There was an obnoxiously loud cheer from the houseboat next door, and the pair of them collapsed into laughter. So much for any sweet words before they got started. "So loud," they both managed to say at the same time.

He leaned back with a sigh, and she heard him open the wrapper. Well, if they were going to be inadvertently cheered on by the neighbors...

It felt differently when it wasn't his fingers, a bit more pressure, but he eased himself into her slowly. If he knew how long she'd waited for him, perhaps he was being extra kind despite how badly he wanted her. He moved a bit, his face coming to rest beside her, and she had to tilt her head back a bit to avoid getting knocked in the jaw with his shoulder. Miwa closed her eyes, adjusting to the real feeling after so many years imagining it.

In her fantasies, they'd always been in one of the suites at the hotel, enjoying the best mattresses and high thread-count sheets. The lights were on in her fantasies, for another thing, and he told her how much he loved her over and over again. Instead she was on the floor of his houseboat, in his futon, in the dark, feeling a tickling sensation when his thighs rubbed against her. 

But even with the noise outside, his dangerous shoulder placement, and her body's initial shock at the intrusion, it got better. So much better as Sasakura Ryu got over his nervousness and let his body take over. Before long he was grasping her hand and filling her hard and fast. She moved, adjusting herself, bringing her knees up and letting him take advantage of a better angle. She'd probably be a little tender later, but for now it didn't matter.

She could feel his breath against her ear, little warm bursts of air. Miwa said his name, and it seemed to turn him on all the more. She squeezed his hand, felt him slide back and drive home, slide back and drive home. "Ryu," she whispered, "Ryu." And then he was squeezing her hand, one last burst of effort, and he gasped. 

When it was over, when he finally turned on the lamp to tidy up, Miwa felt an almost shameful satisfaction at the sight of her naked body in the warm glow. Her flushed skin, the soft little ache between her legs. And then there was Ryu, all arms and legs and grinning like a fool, his toothy smile winning her heart for the thousandth time. His hair was sticking out in a dozen different endearing directions. 

She didn't usually sleep without clothes on, but he brought out some new sheets and they lay together underneath them when the lamp was once again off. He brushed her hair aside to kiss her forehead, mumbling something that sounded like her name before he was lost in sleep. Miwa enjoyed the warmth of him at her side, giving in to sleep once the neighbors' cries next door finally died down.


	3. Chapter 3

**Harvey Wallbanger**  
 _1 measure vodka  
3 measures orange juice  
to float Galliano herbal liqueur  
ice_  
Shake the vodka and orange juice and pour over ice in a Collins glass. Carefully float a table spoon, (or more, if preferred) of Galliano Liqueur on top.

 

Sex, before, had mostly been an embarrassing thing. Something she'd done with a couple short-term boyfriends because they were dating and that was what people who dated did sometimes. Something that never made her come and often hurt because her boyfriends were as inexperienced as she was. She'd really never talked about it with anyone, mostly because the classmates and friends and co-workers she knew had been with more people, had done it more. What could someone like Miwa contribute to a gossipy talk about sex? 

But now, Miwa had decided, sex was good. Sex was better than a whiskey sour after a ten-hour long workday in heels. Sex was better than the first juicy bite of Uncle's fried chicken. Sex was better than three years' worth of fantasy sex and her own fingers that didn't feel like his did. Because sex with Sasakura Ryu was something done out of love and with her own feelings and wants an equal part of the equation. Not that he'd actually used the word "love" in her presence yet, but Miwa felt it. Miwa lived it every minute in his presence now, in the drinks he made her, in the way he didn't even hesitate to hold her hand. Miwa felt it even when he teased her or said some stupid, unintentionally insulting thing.

Of course, they were still ridiculously busy. Business only ramped up at the hotel, and Ryu had won another bartending award, so Eden Hall was often packed all the way up until closing time with people curious to taste one of his special cocktails. Sometimes they went more than a week without seeing each other, but she knew he was loyal, that he cared. She got photo messages on her phone from him, a picture of a drink he'd made her that was sitting behind the bar even though she couldn't stop by. 

And when they did see each other, he made her feel special. He let her drag him shopping, and hadn't even once suggested she pay for dinner even when she offered to do so. He tugged her ponytail, played footsie with her under the table at the Sakura Snack Shop, and gave her one of his spare ties from his Eden Hall uniform so she could carry a bit of him everywhere when he knew that work was keeping them apart. He loved her body, worshipped it with his callused hands and his soft lips. When she spent the night with him on that silly boat, she always woke with his arm around her or his hand squeezing hers. 

It had been their longest separation yet since they'd gotten together, a week and a half. She'd only gotten through it with the help of a small buzzing companion shoved in the bottom of her luggage. They were supposed to meet at Sakura Snack Shop the following day for lunch, but Miwa caught an earlier train back from the hotel management conference she'd attended. Of course, she hadn't told him, instead deciding to surprise him at Eden Hall. She'd been in Kyoto, stuck in hotel banquet rooms that weren't as fancy as the Cardinal's for the better part of a week. If anything was going to welcome her home, it would be Sasakura Ryu and a relaxing drink. 

Well, in Miwa's mind they would skip the drink.

She unpacked, changing into a t-shirt and cardigan he loved, mostly because he was a guy and the shirt was a little tight. She'd been on the verge of chucking it out when Ryu had stuttered out a vehement protest. It was probably the best t-shirt in her arsenal. She put on a comfortable skirt to make up for the shirt and grabbed her purse, telling Auntie and Uncle not to wait up for her. They were expecting the marriage announcement any day now, but Miwa doubted that was on the horizon after barely three months. But things were moving at a good enough pace to keep Miwa quite satisfied.

Miwa timed her arrival at Eden Hall to be just in time for last call, and she stifled a yawn as she took one of the last trains to Tokyo Station. It had been a busy week and a long travel day, but she was certain that a surprise was going to make Ryu's night.

She saw Danny in the street when she was on her way, and he smiled big at the sight of her. He'd just gotten a promotion at work and would be teaching full-time. He'd be leaving Eden Hall in June to devote his full attention to work. He gave her a hug, surprising her a bit, but that was just his way. "Thank god you're back," Danny said with a grin. "He's been awful without you."

Miwa was a bit pleased to hear this. "Awful how?"

"Every couple that came in...he was so sad. Well, the customers could never tell he was, that's part of his skill. But he will be very happy you are here again." 

Danny waved goodbye, jogging off to catch his train, but not before calling over his shoulder that the bar was already empty for the night.

With this new insider information, Miwa slipped inside the entryway, softly turning the lock behind her. She entered the bar proper, feeling immediate warmth and comfort in the familiar surroundings, the shelves of colorful bottles, the tan bar stools, and the dim light. It was empty as Danny had claimed, too empty. Miwa heard the noisy sounds of bottles in the back room just off the bar. Ah, there he was.

To complete her surprise, Miwa settled her purse on one bar stool and herself in the one next to it. She waited patiently, resting her elbow on the bar and directing her grin at the open store room door. He was lifting bottles from crates, settling them on shelves. In his own world, she watched Ryu check things off a clipboard for a few minutes before he finally turned around to come back into the bar.

His eyes nearly bulged from his head at the sight of her waiting for him, and he followed it up with one of his famous smiles. Completely perfect, her bartender, just as she'd left him. Where she expected him to come around and greet her with a kiss, he kept grinning and headed to the bar, handing her a towel for her hands.

"Welcome to Eden Hall," he said formally. His tie was loose, and he'd rolled up his sleeves in the store room. His hair was a little tousled, his vest was unbuttoned. He was halfway to where she wanted him already. "What can I get for you?"

She smiled in return, sighing. "I don't know, I've never been here before. What's good?"

He leaned forward, settling his elbows on the bar counter as well to face her. "I can make anything. And they're all good."

"Is that so?" she asked, trying not to roll her eyes at him.

"Yes, ma'am," he replied. 

"How about a shot?"

He nodded. It was a cocktail bar and prided itself on that reputation. Pouring a shot in a little glass didn't seem to give Ryu as much pleasure as a fancy drink could. But he obeyed, grinning slightly as he said "I know just the thing."

She watched him grab three bottles - Bailey's Irish cream, Kahlua, and a bright green bottle of Midori. He pulled out a shot glass, and she cleared her throat.

He looked up, twisting the top off of the Kahlua. "Don't like Kahlua, ma'am?"

She smiled. "Please pour one for yourself as well."

He raised an eyebrow. He usually didn't drink while working, and if he was going to stay in this polite character, he ought to refuse her. Instead he said nothing, bringing out a second shot glass. She bit her lip, watching as he poured the Kahlua in first, then slowly added the Midori, pouring it off the back of his thin bar spoon. Miwa smiled, seeing the layer of green float on top of the dark brown. Finally came the white Bailey's, and it too floated so the finished shots were tri-color.

"Very pretty," she said as he slid hers across the bar to her. "On three?"

He nodded.

She lifted the shot glass and he lifted his. She counted. "One, two, three."

It went down smooth and creamy, sweetened with the melon-flavored Midori. They both set their glasses down hard, hearing them thud noisily against the wood.

"Excellent," she said. "What kind of shot was that?"

"Ah, it's kind of...dirty."

"A lot of shots have dirty names," she said. "You don't need to be polite."

He nodded a few times, twisting caps back on his bottles, cleaning up, settling them back on the shelves. Miwa watched him finish his tidying before finally coming out around the bar. She stayed on her stool, turning herself sideways as he approached.

She grinned when he pulled her down from it, but where she expected him to pull her close for a "welcome back" kiss instead he kept hold of her wrist with one hand and dug through her purse with the other. He knew exactly where she kept them. Ryu really had missed her.

Grabbing hold of a condom, he pulled her along with him, leaving the bar and heading for his stock room. "Not out there?" she asked as soon as they were inside.

"Not out there," he insisted. His bar was sacred ground.

Without even kissing her he gave her a gentle push, and she braced herself against the wall, growing all the more excited. He didn't waste time, moving up behind her and lifting her skirt. His fingers tugged on her panties, pulling them roughly down. He was never this quick, and Miwa gasped when he nudged her legs apart, fingers teasing briefly before squeezing her ass. She heard him unzip his slacks, and she shut her eyes.

Lucky for him she'd worn one of her higher pairs of heeled boots so he didn't have to bend down much, and soon he was inside her, hard enough to make her cry out in shock. It wasn't the easiest for Miwa, wobbling in her boots with her hands to the wall, nothing to hold, Ryu's hands possessively clutching her hips as he moved against her. But it was perfect and fast, an angle that let him thrust deep inside her, enough to make her whimper each time their bodies came together.

There was no talking, no teasing, just a quick and rough tumble punctuated by the cries of pleasure she didn't bother to hold inside. Sasakura Ryu thrived on praise when it came to his cocktails, his entire face lighting up when a customer took a sip and called him a genius. Sex with Ryu wasn't very different. He thrived on his ability to please her, on his ability to draw loud, enthusiastic noises from his otherwise prim and proper hotel manager girlfriend. She knew that each sound she was letting out turned him on more, made him work harder. His fingers dug into her skin with almost painful pleasure, his thrusts harder than she was used to. 

She'd imagined having sex at Eden Hall with him ever since there'd been an Eden Hall, and she wasn't ashamed to enjoy it. This was rougher than she'd envisioned, the sounds of skin on skin, his harsh breaths, struggling to keep her balance. 

He slowed down for only a few moments. "Miwa-chan," she heard him say, his fingers sliding along the bottom of the t-shirt he loved on her so much. 

"Mm?"

He nearly slid out of her. "The shot," he said, pushing back home.

"Yes?"

She heard him chuckle a bit, sounding embarrassed, even as they were here in his store room going at it without so much as a friendly kiss hello. He moved back, pushed forward, one hand on her hip and the other pushing her skirt back up so he could presumably watch his cock moving in and out of her. 

"The shot's called a Quick Fuck."

She didn't even get to laugh because he was doing just that to her again, and again, and again. Shakily she brought one of her hands down from the wall, hearing a hum of approval from him. She touched herself, heightening the sensation, her body throbbing and full with him as she stroked. Before too long he was coming, one last push and a groan. He didn't move, sounding exhausted but staying inside her just long enough until she felt the first spasm. Her hand shook but she kept going, her body contracting around him still within her, one final cry breaking from her as she brought herself off.

"Was that shot really called a Quick Fuck?" she asked him a short time later, combing her fingers through her hair and adjusting her skirt. He was red in the face and sweaty, mopping his brow with a towel from the bar.

"Would I lie about anything alcohol-related?" he replied, raising an eyebrow.

"I suppose not," she said, grinning. Miwa tapped her fingers on the bar top. "You're never going to do that with me in here?"

He shook his head. "I'm a businessman. This is a place of business." He thumbed back over his shoulder at the store room. "I shouldn't have even done that."

"I see," she replied, grabbing her purse. He grabbed his jacket, turning off the lights and escorting her out.

They made it a few blocks, hand in hand, before she leaned close and snuggled up to him. 

"So we can't have sex in the bar."

"Nope."

"Not even once."

"Not up for debate."

She squeezed his arm. "Not any kind of sex at all?"

Even in the dark, she knew he was blushing. But this was the same person who'd intentionally given her a shot called a Quick Fuck and delivered perfectly on the promise. "No..."

"What if..." She lowered her voice. "What if I just used my mouth on you? Behind the bar."

He stopped walking. "Miwa..."

She grinned. "You've never imagined it? Not once? Not one time?" She slipped a finger into her mouth, not caring that anyone might see. She gave it a long hard suck, not looking anywhere but into his eyes. "I'd be so good at it."

His face froze as she sucked another finger, making a quiet little humming noise around it. When she pulled it from her mouth, a little string of saliva hung between her finger and lips, and his eyes were stuck on it.

"I could be doing it right now, too."

She watched a dozen different emotions flit across his face before he dug in his pocket, pulling out the keys to Eden Hall.

"Alright, come on then," he said with a sigh, turning around and heading back in the direction of his bar. She followed at his heels, chuckling the whole way.

 

**Tequila Sunrise**  
 _2 msr tequila_  
orange juice  
2 dashes grenadine syrup  
Pour tequila in a highball glass with ice, and top with orange juice. Stir. Add grenadine by tilting glass and pouring grenadine down side by flipping the bottle vertically very quickly. The grenadine should go straight to the bottom and then rise up slowly through the drink. Garnish stirrer, straw and cherry-orange.

 

She woke to the feeling of his fingers stroking her forehead, smoothing her hair aside. "Stop," she mumbled. It couldn't possibly be morning already.

There'd been a storm the night before, and she'd barely gotten through it. The wind had been the worst, making the boat tremble and creak. Again and again she'd begged him to switch venues, to the Cardinal or her rooms at the Sakura Snack Shop, even if it would give Auntie and Uncle a heart attack. But the rain had been too heavy, and they'd stayed inside watching TV on his tiny set until she'd fallen asleep.

Miwa opened her eyes, discovering that once again she'd stolen about 90% of the blankets, and Ryu didn't mind, curled up beside her and still stroking her face with his fingers. She sighed, turning over and making a face. She wanted to get up, brush the taste of morning from her mouth. 

She heard him get up, crawling on hands and knees across the floor to the table where his large box of chocolates waited for him. He'd gotten through about half of the heart-shaped pieces the night before, and he greedily dug into the box to continue.

She sat up, frowning at him. "You can't eat chocolate for breakfast."

"Says who?"

"Says me, the person who made them," Miwa snapped. Though they were long past the confession stage, Miwa had thought it fitting to make Ryu another batch of Valentine's chocolate as a reminder of their first year together. He hadn't seen it that way really, mostly just gorging himself on the treats until she'd threatened to take them away. He'd reentered her good graces by making her a chocolate martini with some of the bottles he had stashed here in the boat.

He set the box down, chewing in a bit of a huff. She tossed the blankets off, stretching as she got to her feet. The toothbrush she kept here was waiting in his cramped little bathroom, and she brushed while he turned on the TV and listened to the weather report recapping the crazy storm.

When she returned, he was stretched out on the futon in his t-shirt and boxers and beckoned for her to come close. She did as ordered, laying back down and snuggling up against his side. "You smell like chocolate," she informed him, sniffing his shirt.

His arm came around her, holding her close. "You smell like toothpaste."

"Good!"

They lay in a companionable silence, the perky announcer girl on TV chatting about horoscopes. She inhaled the steady scent of him, relishing the warmth of his lean body beside hers. He was sometimes dumb, sometimes oblivious. He was the man who'd made her a drink one night at Sakura Snack Shop and won her heart. The man who'd made her drinks on many nights since, always knowing her tastes better than she knew them herself. He was supportive and kind and made her feel beautiful. They'd been together a year now, and she was excited to start a second.

Miwa got a bit choked up, her eyes brimming with tears. When a commercial came on, Ryu looked over, seeing her and panicking.

"What did I do? I can't not eat chocolates you made for me!"

She shook her head, laughing and wiping her eyes. "You didn't do anything wrong. I'm just...thinking."

"About what?"

"You."

"And it's making you cry?" he asked, sounding frightened.

"Happy crying. Only happy crying."

"Oh," he said. "Good." He brushed a kiss against her lips, tasting like chocolate. "Good then."

At some point he fell back asleep and Miwa started drifting too, safe and warm in the arms of the silly bartender she'd loved for much longer than he knew. Being close to him, being loved by him. It was even better than the healing powers of one of his cocktails.


End file.
